A good friend of the Architechnologist brought a particularly awesome product to our attention just after the new {DeviceDiary} went live earlier this week… so you get a bonus entry that ranks high in the “cool, I need that” category. You haven’t read the latest {DeviceDiary} yet? For shame, but have no fear, you can jump straight there with this link: {DeviceDiary} Vol. 6
Normally, we would add it to the list for the next {DeviceDiary}, but this one’s on Indiegogo and the campaign is just getting started, as of the publication of this article, there were still “early bird” perks available and we would hate for you to miss out.
–Michael

When you carry a laptop you are constantly on the lookout for outlets to recharge the battery (unlike smartphones and tablets, which can pull extra power from an external battery). And, of course, power strips are scattered around the house and office to bring outlets where convenient. The Joule Power Outlet is perfect for the serious “laptop Samurai.” The Indiegogo campaign will bring the Joule BAR into production, featuring three outlets and two 2.1 amp USB ports… and then there are the innovations that make the device so amazing:

• The standard 6-foot power cable is detachable and can be swapped with different lengths. The potential of a very short cable that could be used when traveling is amazing and would make the user a hero at just about every airport gate.
• The outlets themselves are internally illuminated (I know, that’s genius). Even better, to switch the lighting on and off, you just touch the sides of the Joule BAR.
• Staying put for a while? The team designed a mounting plate that allows users to attach the Joule BAR to walls where it’s needed and quickly detach the Joule BAR when it’s time to hit the road.

The Joule team has even more goodness ready for production. Potentially coming in Spring 2016 would be the Joule BIT, a smaller version of the BAR, with a single outlet along with the two USB ports–perfect for the nightstand. The big brother to the Joule BAR is also in development, the Joule BOX featuring six USB ports and six electrical outlets–ideal for a shared workspace or a conference table. And to sweeten the offer, the production of the Joule BIT and BOX will be rushed if certain stretch goals are met in the crowdfunding campaign.

On the topic of stretch goals for the Joule BAR, there is an entire section of the Indiegogo page to answer the “most frequent, frequently asked question: Does Joule Have A Battery?” Short answer is “no, but it could” and the team has set their second stretch goal to be the inclusion of a small (2100-2400 mAh) battery into the Joule BAR. This makes incredible sense, if the user is already plugging the Joule BAR in to power their devices, of course it should store some power for when it is removed from the outlet.

Didn’t we tell you this was a particularly awesome product that ranks high in the “cool, I need that” category? And aren’t you glad that we didn’t make you wait for the next {DeviceDiary}? Yeah, you’re welcome.